Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Blankenship, Grate Lock Down the Defensive Backfield for the 2021 Blue Raiders
8/18/2021 6:00:00 PM | Football
The All-Conference safety duo is ready to run it back in 2021
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Reed Blankenship never got going last season.
Well, to be a bit more specific, he never got going FOR Reed Blankenship last season. After an unreal 2018 campaign with 107 total tackles, eight tackles for a loss, and four interceptions, the then junior safety missed the last five games of 2019 due to injury.
The multi-time All-Conference USA selection needed the spring of 2020 to recover, but when the COVID-19 pandemic sent the Blue Raiders home, that recovery was stunted. And when contact tracing limited his practice time throughout the 2020 campaign, that only further hampered his level of play.
The stat sheet may have shown he started all nine of Middle Tennessee's games, recording a team-high 76 tackles. It looked good on paper. But, both he and the coaching staff knew he could reach far greater production.
So when it came time to decide if he wanted to use an extra year of eligibility afforded to him by the NCAA, the decision was easy.
"I came back because I knew I wasn't ready for the next level," Blankenship said. "Last year, coming off the injury and not being able to rehab, it really affected the way I played, mentally and physically."
And getting a chance to team up with first team All-Conference USA safety Gregory Grate again didn't hurt, either.
"I feel like when we're on the field, we just have this link-up connection," Grate said of his partnership with Blankenship. "Like, we don't even have to say the check, but we look at each other and know what we've got to do and know what we want to check."
A converted cornerback, Grate slid into Blankenship's role after his injury in 2019, and took over for Jovante Moffatt as the starting free safety when Blankenship returned in 2020. He excelled in a full-time role, leading the Blue Raiders with four interceptions and three forced fumbles, while finishing second on the team with 74 total tackles. He earned a spot on the All-Conference USA first team at the end of the season.
The pair recently earned the honor of being on the Reese's Senior Bowl watch list, as Blankenship has also been added to the Bednarik Award Watch List, the C-USA Preseason Watch List and is a nominee for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.
Together, they're one of the most decorated safety duos in the country, let alone Conference USA. And their lock on the starting safety roles is going to be key to Blue Raiders' success defensively.
"They need to play like seasoned veterans, they need to take charge, make sure that we're on the same page with all of our adjustment football throughout the course of the game," defensive coordinator and safeties coach Scott Shafer said. "They're doing a good job. They just need to keep getting better."
The duo's early results from camp have been solid, as expected. Each broke up a pass in Saturday's scrimmage, while Blankenship both intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble. Good, sound football from both, Shafer said.
More important than their on the field performance, perhaps, is their leadership, both as examples to their teammates and in mentorship roles, particularly with their combined football knowledge. Cornerbacks coach Kenneth Gilstrap said that Blankenship has taken many of his young corners under his wing to help them better understand defensive coverages, while Grate's maturity has helped solidify a defensive backfield that knows they need to improve from a season ago.
"The relationship between me and him is pretty strong, and it's one of those things where I know he's going to get his job done, so I don't really have to worry about what he does," Blankenship said of playing with Grate. "He's one of the guys that grew up a lot. I'm just excited to play with him again."
With the partnership locking down the first team safety reps, the duo have given their teammates in the safety room a chance to show out a variety of positions, with players like Tra Fluellen, Deidrick Stanley II and James Shellman IV getting reps at both nickel and safety in camp, while Teldrick Ross is seeing time at both outside corner and safety.
The depth can be key in the event of injuries, Shafer said, or for those players just having the ability to get on the field and help the team.
"That multiplicity is important, because those guys have to have that do-it-all mindset, whatever's asked in any given situation," Shafer said.
All-in-all, Blankenship and Grate's presence make the safety room one of the team's strongest. And with additional reps against RPO plays in camp, and a full offseason of workouts behind them, Blankenship cannot wait to run it back one last time.
"We had a lot of young guys last year that didn't get spring," Blankenship said. "And I needed spring too, from last year. But everybody is mature now. We had a lot of older guys come back. And I'm just excited to get this first game going."
Photos by Emily Cole/MT Athletic Communications
Well, to be a bit more specific, he never got going FOR Reed Blankenship last season. After an unreal 2018 campaign with 107 total tackles, eight tackles for a loss, and four interceptions, the then junior safety missed the last five games of 2019 due to injury.
The multi-time All-Conference USA selection needed the spring of 2020 to recover, but when the COVID-19 pandemic sent the Blue Raiders home, that recovery was stunted. And when contact tracing limited his practice time throughout the 2020 campaign, that only further hampered his level of play.
The stat sheet may have shown he started all nine of Middle Tennessee's games, recording a team-high 76 tackles. It looked good on paper. But, both he and the coaching staff knew he could reach far greater production.
So when it came time to decide if he wanted to use an extra year of eligibility afforded to him by the NCAA, the decision was easy.
"I came back because I knew I wasn't ready for the next level," Blankenship said. "Last year, coming off the injury and not being able to rehab, it really affected the way I played, mentally and physically."
And getting a chance to team up with first team All-Conference USA safety Gregory Grate again didn't hurt, either.
"I feel like when we're on the field, we just have this link-up connection," Grate said of his partnership with Blankenship. "Like, we don't even have to say the check, but we look at each other and know what we've got to do and know what we want to check."
A converted cornerback, Grate slid into Blankenship's role after his injury in 2019, and took over for Jovante Moffatt as the starting free safety when Blankenship returned in 2020. He excelled in a full-time role, leading the Blue Raiders with four interceptions and three forced fumbles, while finishing second on the team with 74 total tackles. He earned a spot on the All-Conference USA first team at the end of the season.
The pair recently earned the honor of being on the Reese's Senior Bowl watch list, as Blankenship has also been added to the Bednarik Award Watch List, the C-USA Preseason Watch List and is a nominee for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.
Together, they're one of the most decorated safety duos in the country, let alone Conference USA. And their lock on the starting safety roles is going to be key to Blue Raiders' success defensively.
"They need to play like seasoned veterans, they need to take charge, make sure that we're on the same page with all of our adjustment football throughout the course of the game," defensive coordinator and safeties coach Scott Shafer said. "They're doing a good job. They just need to keep getting better."
The duo's early results from camp have been solid, as expected. Each broke up a pass in Saturday's scrimmage, while Blankenship both intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble. Good, sound football from both, Shafer said.
More important than their on the field performance, perhaps, is their leadership, both as examples to their teammates and in mentorship roles, particularly with their combined football knowledge. Cornerbacks coach Kenneth Gilstrap said that Blankenship has taken many of his young corners under his wing to help them better understand defensive coverages, while Grate's maturity has helped solidify a defensive backfield that knows they need to improve from a season ago.
"The relationship between me and him is pretty strong, and it's one of those things where I know he's going to get his job done, so I don't really have to worry about what he does," Blankenship said of playing with Grate. "He's one of the guys that grew up a lot. I'm just excited to play with him again."
With the partnership locking down the first team safety reps, the duo have given their teammates in the safety room a chance to show out a variety of positions, with players like Tra Fluellen, Deidrick Stanley II and James Shellman IV getting reps at both nickel and safety in camp, while Teldrick Ross is seeing time at both outside corner and safety.
The depth can be key in the event of injuries, Shafer said, or for those players just having the ability to get on the field and help the team.
"That multiplicity is important, because those guys have to have that do-it-all mindset, whatever's asked in any given situation," Shafer said.
All-in-all, Blankenship and Grate's presence make the safety room one of the team's strongest. And with additional reps against RPO plays in camp, and a full offseason of workouts behind them, Blankenship cannot wait to run it back one last time.
"We had a lot of young guys last year that didn't get spring," Blankenship said. "And I needed spring too, from last year. But everybody is mature now. We had a lot of older guys come back. And I'm just excited to get this first game going."
Photos by Emily Cole/MT Athletic Communications
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